Structure and Dynamics of the Global Container Shipping Network, 1970s-2020s

Container shipping has become a cornerstone of global supply chains, regional integration, and port-city development. The globalization of trade and, at the same time, the increased vulnerability of supply chains have created a more efficient yet fragile system. In this chapter, using a unique dataset of more than four million ship movements, we uncover the local and global dynamics of container flows. Starting in the 1970s, with the diffusion of container technology in international trade, we analyse fifty years of global trade through the lens of network structures and community detection. We document (i) an almost continuous expansion in nodes and links with improving topological efficiency up to the mid-2010s, followed by (ii) the consequences of recent shocks, such as COVID-19, Red Sea disruptions, and the Panama Canal drought, which highlights the vulnerability of the container shipping network. Using single linkage analysis, we also show the evolution of trade dependencies, the emergence of China particularly towards Africa over the last decade, and the persistence of certain port systems such as the European system around Rotterdam. We open a new avenue of research by combining global and local, systemic and long-term quantitative analyses to understand the dynamics of international trade.